Submarine salvaging apparatus



0.1. LINDQUIST.

SUBMARINE SALVAGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR.15, 1918. RENEWED MAY 28.1920.-

1,370,458. Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

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C. J. LINDQUIST SUBMARINE SALVAGING APPARATUS, APPLICATION 'man APR. l5. 1918. RENEwEn MAY 28.1920.

' 1,370,458. A Patented Mam, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL J. LINDQUIST, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SUBMARINE SALVAGE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. YV., A CORPORATION `0F NEW JERSEY.

SUIBMARINE SALVAGING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Application led April 15, 1918, Serial No. 228,566. Renewed May 28, 1920. Serial No. 385,068.

' full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to salvaging appai'atus, the object being to provide a submersible chamber or pontoon that canbe utilized in raising a sunken vessel without the necessity, as heretofore, of exposing the pontoon and its operators to the action of rough water or waves, nor the high pressure of the water at great depths. A further object of this invent-i011 is to provide means whereby equalization of the stress upon the lifting cables can be accomplished, preferably automatically.

VMy invention, as herein embodied, comprises a buoyant chamber arranged for submersion when a vessel is to be raised. To maintain the chamber in a predetermined or selected position, while the lifting cables are being attached to the vessel, or passed under same, I provide a novel form of anchorage which is arranged to be raised after the pontoon has been submerged and before the raising operation is commenced; in other words, the anchor will be lowered simultaneously 'with the submerging of the chamber, or pontoon, but with greater rapidity, said anchor, when lowered, serving to maintain the chamber where positioned while the lifting cables are being applied, whereupon the anchor will be raised. After the anchor is raised, the pontoon or chamber will be emptied, preparing same for the raising operation.V It will be, of course. understood, that as many pontoons or chambers will be used as will be found necessary for the work to be accomplished. This apparatus is designed to operate in conjunction with the tide, that is to say, the initial raising operation .will be performed preferably at low tide, the rising tide acting to lift the vessel, in addition to the lift imparted thereto by the raising of the pontoons,-to the extent of the rising of the tide. For instance, should I raise a sunken vessel ten feet at low tide, by means of the pontoons, and the extent of the rise of the `tide should be ten feet, then the total lift would be twenty feet. After the vessel has been raised, I tow the same, with the connected floating pontoons, to shallower water, or until the vessel again touches bottom, at which time I again manipulate the pontoons and raise the vessel further. The'operation will be repeated until the vessel has been towed to a spot where the salvaging thereof can be accomplished.

One of the features of my invention is the manner of maintaining the pontoons in substantially a, vertical position during the raising operation Without the aid of any element other than the lifting cables.

Additional points of improvement will appear throughout the'following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which yform part hereof, Y

Figure l is a diagrammatic view illustrating my improved apparatus positioned to commence `the operation of lifting a vessel;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken vertical sectional view of my improved pontoon or submersible chamber;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan View thereof, the section being taken'oii a line 3 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view. illustrating one of the capstans and slidable support therefor, the section being taken on a line 4 4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side view of one of the pontoons, illustrating the same before it is submerged or while being towed to a place for operation;

Fig. l(iis an enlarged top plan view of the combination winch for the exhaust pump chamber, and outlet pipe from the pump;

Fig. 7 is lan enlarged sectional plan view of the chamber, the section being taken on a line 7 7 in Fig. 2;`

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the equalizing Winches as mounted on the end of the chamber or pontoon; and Fig. 9 is a detail of the pontoon valve.

As k'herein embodied. my improved salvaging apparatus comprises a chamber 7, an anchor l0 and a post 11, which carries the anchor and which slidably engages the chamber 7, a well l2 being yprovided within the chamber to receive said post. These are the principal elements of the apparatus but to copera-te therewith lifting cables 13, 14,

15 and 16 are provided (Fig. 3) with which winches 17 and 18 are associated, together with jackwcha'ins 19 and 20, the function of which will hereinafter appear.

Other elements of the apparatus are an exhaust-pump 21 and a motor 22 therefor,

both of which are mounted in a water-tight chamber 23 slidably supported by guides 24 and engaged by a cable 25 operated by a winch 26 on the main-deck 27. The pump 21 is provided with a suction-pipe 28 and exhaust-pipe 29 which flexible (rubberI hose for instance) and extends to the winch 26 on the deck 27. The exhaust-pipe 29 and cable 25 are both connected to the same winch which is provided with two drums 26, 26", F ig. 6, the cable being wound upon the drum 26, and the pipe. 29 upon the drum 26h. A

The chamber 23 will be normally located adjacent the bottom 30 of the chamber; hence will be submerged during the time the pontoon is submerged'and until the chamber is emptied. The cable 25 is provided so that vthe said chamber can be raised if it is desired to repair the pump or motor, or for any other reason.

T o fill the chamber 7, I provide the bottom 30 thereof with an opening 31 closed by a valve 32 carried by a rotatable rod 33 which extends to the upper deck 27a and car ries at its end a hand-wheel 34. The rod 33 is threaded at 35 to engage a threaded support 36 on the deck 27a; hence to open or close the valve, the rod 33 will be rotated.

The lower end of the chamber 7 will be preferably provided with an auxiliary chamber 37 perforated at 38 for the admisi sion of water. )Vithin the chamber 7 and adjacent the bottom 30 thereof, I locate a bulkhead or partition 39 which extends (in this instance) to a point on a line with the axis of the chamber. In practice l find this to be su'liicient; but I do not confine myself to this particular location. The partition 39 aids in the submerging. of the chamber, in so far as it acts to render one end of the chamber heavy enough to cause said end to sink, in conjunction with the anchor, whereby said chamber will be caused to assume a vertical position before it is filled.

The anchor 10 consists of a hollow charnber 40 connected by a ball-and-socket joint 41 to the post 11, so as to provide a universally movable connection. The ball-member of the connection is provided with an opening 42 therethrough and the socket-member with a larger opening 43v for the passage of ducts 44 and 45.

The chamber 40 is provided with a normally closed spring-pressed outlet-valve 46, to permit water within the chamber 40 to be blown out by air under pressure, thereinto directed through the duct 44, air under pressure being supplied by a storage tank 47 with and which contacts with the inner surface of the well or cylinder 12; hence water isy prevented from entering between the upper end of the post 11 and cap 52 for the well or cylinder 12. To raise the anchor, prior to emptying the chamber 7 of water, I provide a winch 53 and cable 54, the winch being carried by a suitable frame 55. To permit air to escape from the cylinder during t ie raisingoperation, l provide a valve 56 in the cap 52. The inner wall of the cylinder 12 will be well greased to reduce friction. Should water enter between the upper end of the post-11 and cap 52, a water- -lock would result; hence l provide the packing- 51 and the valve 56 to prevent an air cushion or to produce one, when desirable.

. The pontoon or chamber will be towed to the desired location in the position illustrated in F ig. 5. After the sunken vessel has been located, the pontoon or pontoons will be located in approximately the proper position over the vessel. After the pontoon or pontoons have been thus positioned, l

`open the valve 32 and operate the pump 48 to fill the anchor-chamber 40. Owing to the partition 39, the end 56 of the pontoon (Fig. 5) will partly fill, and the anchor-chamber 40 will also be filled whereby this end of the pontoon will become weighted; hence this weighted end of the pontoon will sink. As soon as this end of the pontoon sinks, the now weighted anchor will sta-rt to slide outwardly and downwardly, thereby causing the pontoon to sink still farther. By this time, the water will overflow the partition intothe main body of the pontoon. By the time the pontoon is half filled, it will have assumed a vertical position, and the anchor will have reached bottom, as indicated in 1, adjacent the sunken vessel. After the pontoons have been positioned, the raisingr;n cables will be passed under the vessel, and temporarily fastened to the pontoon by means of pins 57 which are passed through a link adjacent a guide 58. Each chain 13, 14, 15 and 16 will pass through a guide, such 58, and over a pulley (not shown). Each chain will be fastened by a pin until it is finally adjusted or pulled taut.

' To finally adjust the chains and also to automatically equalize the pull, is the function of the slidable capstans 17 and 18. As will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 3,

the lifting chains are not directly connected to the capstans, but to jack-chains carried by the capstans. By means of the jackchains, each cable or lifting chain will, one at a time, be pulled taut before the stress upon the said lifting chains is equalized. To pull the chains, they will each and one at a time be manipulated. Assuming that all of the cables have been temporarily fastened by the pins 57 to prevent them from slipping back, I connect one cable 137 for instance, to the adjacent end of the jack-chain 20 which is wound around the capstan 1S. To connect the cables and jack-chains, I employ any suitable clamp, for instance a clamp consist-A ing of plates 5S and 59 and bolts 60 which paSs through the plates, and linlrs of the cables and jack-chains. After attaching the cable to the jack-chain. I draw the cable taut by turning the capstan, after which the clamp would be removed. After the cable 13 has been pulled taut, I again apply a pin 57 to hold same. I then manipulate cable 141 in the same manner. After drawing cable 14 taut, I then again connect cable 13 and jack-chain 20. Both cables 13 and 11i will now be taut but not under stress. Cables 15 and 16 will now be manipulated in the same manner. As soon as the chamber starts to rise, after being emptied, the stress on the cables will be equalized.

As is evident. the capstans'll' and 1S are rotatablyT carried by a table or slide 61 operating in channels 62, the plate 63 of the chamber being cut away at 6-1 to receive the inner ends of the capstans. Should cables 14 and 16 be under more stress than cables 13 and 15, the capstans would rotate. thereby causing cables 14 and 16 to pay out and cables 13 and 15 to be taken up; at the same time the table or slide 61 would move to the right or left and centralize with respect to the stress. The slack ends of the cables will be received by wells 63a and 64a. The equalization of stress will take place after the anchors have been raised and the chambers emptied.

To maintain the chambers in a substantially vertical position after the anchors have been raised and during the raising process, I lead the raising cables therefrom at a point at or below the center of buoyancy, as indicated in Fig. 1. In other words, the pull upon the chamber takes place at 65, a point at about or below the center of buoyancy; hence, as the greater mass of the chamber is above said point, the chamber will remain vertical while under stress. lVhen the chambers start to raise the vessel, they will approach one another, and hence when the anchors are again lowered, they would, if no means were provided to prevent it, fall upon the vessel. To prevent this, I provide each chamber with a tow-rope 66 by means of which the chambers can be towed slightly away from the vessel when the anchors are to be lowered. As can be seen, the anchors merely hold the chambers from floating away while the lifting cables are being attached.

To maintain the anchor in substantially a horizontal position while being lowered, I connect same to the post 11 by cables 67, said cables being slack enough to permit of the universal movement of the chamber.

When the chamber 7 is to be emptied of water, the hose 29 wil be removed from the winch-drum 26h and its end passed through a nozzle 68 in the side of the chamber.

Before the cables 13, lll, 15 and 16 are adjusted in manner described, the table 61 will be temporarily locked against movement, while the cables are being adjusted, by means of pins 69 which will be placed in openings 70 in deck 272 lVhat- I claim as my invention is:

1. The method ot raising a sunken vessel, consisting in locating elongated buoyant submersible chambers in vertical position adjacent the vessel attaching raising cables connected to the .chambers to said vessel, expelling the water from the chambers to cause same and the vessel supported thereby to rise and maintaining the' chambers vertically disposed by the raising cables during the raising operation.

2. The method of raising a sunken vessel, consisting in locating elongated buoyant submersible chambers in vertical position adjacent the vessel; attaching raising cables connected to the chambers to said vessel; expelling the water from the chambers to cause same and the vessel supported thereby to rise; maintaining the chambers vertically disposed by the raising` cables, during the raising operation; and automat ically equalizing the stress on said cables as the chambers raise the vessel.

3. The method of raising a slinken vessel, consisting in locating buoyant submersible chambers adjacent a sunken vessel; attaching raising cables connected to the chambers to 'the vessel; eypelling` the water from the chambers to cause same and the vesselv supported thereby to rise and automatically cqualizing the stress on said cables while the ressel is being raised.

il. The method of raising sunken vessels which consists in partly filling with water one end of an elongated buoyant chamber to cause same to sink at the partly filled end; then releasing an anchoring device connected to the buoyant chamber; then filling the remainder of the chamber to cause it to submerge; then temporarily anchoringthe chamber in upright position by the anchoring device; then passing rais ing-cables connected to the chamber under the vessel to be raised; then raising the anchor; and then emptying the chamber to cause same to rise to lift the vessel connected thereto.

5. In a salvaging apparatus, a buoyant submersible chamber, an anchoring device therefor comprising a hollow chamber, means to fill the same with water, means to exhaust the water, and means to raise the anchoring device off the bottom of the ocean or river-bed after the chamber has been submerged.

6. In a salvaging apparatus, a buoyant chamber, a cylinder therein extending longitudinally thereof, a post slidably mounted in said cylinder, an anchoring device carried by the post at its outer end, and an air relief valve located at the end of said cylinder.

7. In a salvaging apparatus, a buoyant submersible chamber, a post slidable longitudinally thereof, and an anchor carried by the post at its outer end, said anchor being mounted for universal movement and adapt ed to temporarily retain the chamber in position after said chamber has been submerged, and means to move the anchor-post longitudinally of the chamber.

8. In a salvaging apparatus, an elongated chamber, adapted to iioat upon the surface of the water in avhorizontal position, means to introduce Water into the chamber to submerge same, and means to render one end of the chamber heavier than the opposite end before said chamber is filled, to cause said weighted end to sink, thereby ciusing the chamber to assume a vertical position during the remainder of the submerging operation.

9. In a salvaging apparatus, an elongated chamber, adapted to float upon the surface of the water in a horizontal position, means to introduce water into the chamber to submerge same, means to render one end of the chamber heavier than the opposite end bebore said chamber is filled, to cause said weighted end tov sink, thereby causing the chamber to assume a vertical position during the remainder of the submerging operation, and an anchoring device connected to the chamber.

10. In a salvaging apparatus, an elongated chamber adapted to float upon the surface of the water in a horizontal position, means to introduce water into said chamber to submerge same,and a partition within the chamber adjacent one end thereof arranged to cause said end to partly lill to render same heavier than the opposite end, whereby said partly filled end will sink before the remainder of the chamber is filled.

11. In a salvaging apparatus, an elongated buoyant submersible chamber arranged to float upon the surface in a horizontal position, an auxiliary buoyant submersible chamber extensibly connected thereto, means to lill the auxiliary chamber with water, and means to partly lill the adjacent end of the elongated chamber, to cause said chambers to sink to move the chambers from the horizontal to a vertical position.

12. In a salvaging apparatus, an elongated submersible buoyant chamber, and raising cables attached thereto, and connected with the chamber at a point below the center of buoyancy of the chamber, whereby the stress upon the cables will maintain the chamber in a vertical position.

13. In a salvaging apparatus, an elongated submersible buoyant chamber, stress equalizers carried by the chamber, and raising cables carried by the equalizers, said cables being also connected with the chamber, at a point below the centerV of buoyancy of the chamber.

14. In a salvaging apparatus, an elongated submersible buoyant chamber, take-up devices slidably mounted on said chamber, and raising cables connected to the take-up devices, the raising cables being also connected, intermediate their ends, with said chamber at a point below the center of buoyancy of the chamber.

15. In a salvaging apparatus, a submersible buoyant chamber, a stress equalizer carried thereby, and raising cables connected to the said equalizer.

16. In a salvaging apparatus, a submersible buoyant chamber, 'a slidable table carried thereby, capstans carried by said table, and raising cables carried by the capstans.

17. In a salvaging apparatus, a submersible buoyant chamber, a plurality of raising cables connected thereto, means to temporarily adjust the cables one at a time, and means to automatically equalize the stress upon said cables after they have been temporarily adjusted.

18. In a salvaging apparatus, a buoyant submersible chamber, a plurality of rotatable equalizers carried thereby, and a plurality of lifting-chains arranged in pairs, each pair being connected to a separate equalizer.

19.'In a sali/*aging apparatus, a buoyant submersible chamber, a` plurality of independently adjustable lraising cables connected therewith, means to adjust said cables independently before said chamber rises, and means to automatically equalize the stress on said cables while the chamber is rising. Y

20. In a lsalvaging apparatus, an elongated submersible buoyant chamber, adjustable raising cables carried thereby, means to anchor and maintain said chamber vertical while the raising cables are being applied, and means to raise the anchoring device after the cables have been applied.

21. In a salvaging apparatus, an elongated buoyant chamber adapted for submersion, and a post within the chamber and slidable longitudinally thereof to maintain the chamber in vertical position While submerged.

22. In a salvaging apparatus, an elongated buoyant chamber adapted for submersion, adjustable raising-cables connected therewith and adapted to be passed under a vessel, and means to maintain the chamber, While submerged, in a. predetermined Vertical position relative to the vessel While the cables are being applied thereto.

In a salvagng apparatus, a buoyant chamber, adapted for submersion, an anchoring device comprising a supplemental chamber, means to introduce Water into the 15 supplemental chamber, and means to force air under pressure into said supplemental chamber to force the Water therefrom.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 12 day of April, 1918.

CARL J. LINDQUIST. lVitnesses MAURICE BLOCK, EDWARD A. JARVIS. 

